(19)
(11) EP 1 757 434 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
16.09.2009 Bulletin 2009/38

(43) Date of publication A2:
28.02.2007 Bulletin 2007/09

(21) Application number: 06119545.9

(22) Date of filing: 25.08.2006
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B29C 70/38(2006.01)
B65H 49/32(2006.01)
 B29C 53/82(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL BA HR MK RS

(30) Priority: 25.08.2005 US 711291 P

(71) Applicant: Ingersoll Machine Tools, Inc.
Rockford IL 61103 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Hoffmann, Klaus
    Rockford, Illinois 6110 (US)
  • Tingley, Mark Curtis
    Hutsonville, Illinois 62433 (US)

(74) Representative: Hoeger, Stellrecht & Partner Patentanwälte 
Uhlandstrasse 14c
70182 Stuttgart
70182 Stuttgart (DE)

   


(54) Replaceable creel in a fiber placement machine


(57) An apparatus and method are provided for replacing a creel (10,12) in a fiber placement machine (14), by sequentially moving replaceable creels (10,12) into place on the fiber placement machine (14), via tracks and/or guide rails (22), as one or more spools in a previously operating creel are exhausted, and removing the creel having the one or more exhausted spools, to thereby allow fiber placement to continue from the replacement creel (10,12) while the creel having one or more exhausted spools of material is replenished. An auto-splice apparatus and method are incorporated into the replaceable creel and fiber placement machine (14), for assisting in the exchange of replaceable creels (10,12).







Search report